That Stupid Waiver
by Koolaidaholic
Summary: Tim McGee was always the junior agent on the sidelines, the probie. But when his connection to a case puts him out front, it also puts his life in danger. And when a sudden change of events happens, it leaves the team to question their own life choices.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, howdy. Thanks for coming to check out my story. I 'm working hard on it, and it gets better as it goes. At least I think so, ha ha! :) Hope you like it!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.**

**Belly Up**

It's turning into fall outside, and the leaves are just beginning to change from vibrant greens to rich reds and yellows. Most bathing suits are being packed away, and few people are still venturing into the Maryland coast waters. Those few included Marcy, a confident college student, on her way to a secluded corner of the beach for a secret rendezvous with her boyfriend. She shivered as she approached the meeting spot, pulling her sweater tighter. It was chilly for a morning this early in fall. She nodded it off, smiling at the thought of her boyfriend's arms around h-

"AAH!!" she screamed, as a pair of cold, wet hands tugged on her leg. Not really thinking, she dashed into the only other exit, the ocean, when she heard laughing from behind her. She turned to see her boyfriend, Kiefer, lying on the ground in hysterics. He rolled over onto his knees and gave her a not-so-apologetic smile.

"I can't _believe_ you fell for that!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. Not funny!" Marcy said, a defensive edge to her voice. She felt a wave coming in, and exited the water.

"It so WAS! You should have seen your-" he cut short, his whole body turning white.

"What's the matter?" she asked. Kiefer mumbled something inaudible, and pointed a shaky finger towards the water.

Confused, she looked back, and was met with the startling sight of a pale, floating body, complete with a bullet hole in the back. But when the next wave hit, it rolled the body over and revealed something even more frightening.

The woman had no face.

Though a gorgeous, fun day in Washington, D.C, it was anything but in the NCIS offices. Special Agent Gibbs and his team had just finished a lengthy, time consuming case, and were now plagued with paperwork. Gibbs let out somewhat of a sigh, and threw down his pen. The team glanced up for a minute, but didn't bother questioning him. They understood. Every time it seemed like it was all done, there was another stack underneath. Gibbs went to start again, but felt his phone begin to vibrate, and picked it up, relishing the break.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"Jethro, I'd like for you and your team to come down here. We have a dead Marine with an unfortunate, and...disturbing, postmortem injury that you need to see."

"On our way, Duck."

DiNozzo glanced up at him. "What's going on, Boss?"

"Dead Marine. We're going to autopsy, all of us."

A few minutes later, the team filed into the room one by one, taking note of the body on one of the tables.

"Oh, good, you're all here!" said Ducky. He walked over to the table, and hesitated with the covering.

"Something wrong, Ducky?" Ziva asked.

"Well, not really, but I must warn you. What you're about to see is not very pleasant," he said.

"Bah, we can handle it, Ducky!" Tony said with a laugh. He'd seen dead bodies before. But even he shuddered when the ME revealed the body.

"Now, this poor girl was shot in the back, right through the lungs. Blood appears to have flooded her lungs, likely her cause of death. However, as you can see, someone decided to add insult to injury," he explained. The woman's face was unidentifiable, melted and muddled all together- just a blob of skin. Not even her nose or eyes stuck out anymore, her face a completely blank slate. It wasn't so much an image that inspired disgust, but more so curiosity.

"How did the police find out she was a Marine if they couldn't even identify her?" Ziva asked. She winced looking at the body, and felt a pang of sadness for the woman. A beeping sound came from the fax machine in the corner, and Ducky went to retrieve whatever it was.

"When the Baltimore PD sent her over this morning, they provided some substantial evidence of her identity, matching the rest of her body to the description of a missing Captain from Delaware. But I suppose her tattoo convinced them as well, if you'd like to pull down the covers a bit farther," the man said. Gibbs reached for the cover and pulled it down farther, revealing a mini Marine Corps. logo tattooed beneath her left breast. McGee's body stiffened at the sight, and he lost his breath.

"It couldn't be," he murmured. Ducky and the others looked at him curiously, for a moment, but turned their attention back to the papers in the ME's hand.

"These are the DNA results from the Baltimore Lab. According to them, our Marine's name is Cpt. Arlene-" "- Lutz."

It was McGee who had responded. Ducky nodded at the team, surprised that the agent seemed to have already known. Gibbs turned to McGee, and looked him in the eye.

" You _know_ her?" he questioned.

"Yeah...," McGee answered, placing his hand on the Cpt.'s shoulder," I grew up with her."

**Hey, thanks for reading! I'd love it if you could review, and give me some constructive criticism. See you next time!**

**-Lauren**


	2. Blast From Tim's Past

**Graaahh. It's been forever. I can't believe it's taken this long to update D: I apologize. Hope you enjoy the second chapter! I do not own NCIS or any characters.**

**Blast from Tim's Past**

"She was the older sister of a childhood friend of mine, Eddie Lutz, in Bethesda. She got that tattoo when she was just sixteen, and threatened to beat us up if we told anyone. She was so excited..."

As McGee recalled the happier memory, the corner of his mouth curved upwards into a grin.

"They moved away shortly after she graduated high school. She had always wanted to go into the Marines, and it was hard on her parents when she left. I never got their new address or number, and haven't heard from Eddie since."

"Hey, weirdoes! You want to see something cool?" asked Arlene. She hopped onto the couch, shaking her hands, and seeming very jittery. A 13-year-old Tim and his friend, Eddie, looked up at her from their Battleship game.

"If it's anything like that picture in the magazine you showed us last time, I think we're good," Eddie answered. Tim nodded in agreement, but secretly, he had enjoyed it. Arlene may possess a strange taste in music, but it was still a pretty cool poster, and he could appreciate it.

"No, you dip wad!" her voice changed to a whisper," I got a _tattoo_!"

The boys looked at her incredulously, then at each other. They both burst into laughter at the idea, a TATTOO! Her parents would never let her do it, not at 16, anyway. Arlene's face reddened, whether at anger or humiliation the boys couldn't be sure. She jumped off the couch and made sure no one was coming, and then leaned against the door.

"Shut up! I did too!" she exclaimed. She even lifted up her shirt just enough to show it, and sure enough, there it was. The eagle, the Earth, and the anchor. She smiled.

"I'm going to-"

"'-serve my country someday'," Tim said. It surprised him that he remembered it so clearly, as though it was just happening now.

"And she did, Timothy. Proudly, I'm sure," Ducky said, laying a consoling hand on the man's shoulder. He nodded at Gibbs, giving him the floor.

"Alright, DiNozzo, check in with BPD, see what they know. Ziva, run a background check." Gibbs ordered. He turned to Tim, as the other two agents left the room to do their part.

"I think," he said slowly, "you ought to give your friend Eddie and the parents a call, McGee."

He complied, but it proved easier said than done. Getting the number was the simple part, and it turned out that Eddie was now a graphic designer, living near his parents in Pensacola, Florida. Actually _making_ the call, now that was another story. It would be the first time in over twenty years he would be speaking to his old friend, and he wished it had been under more positive circumstances. He looked over at Gibbs, hoping for a piece of advice.

"Every call is hard, Tim," the older agent said gently, "and the hardest are the ones personal to the caller. But for the people on the other end, hearing it from someone who cares makes a difference. You care. Remember that."

McGee thanked him, and picked up the phone. Gibbs, meanwhile, left him to himself, and headed over to the director's office. Though, while McGee appreciated the privacy, and the advice, he found that he still could not dial.

"He's quite the sage, isn't he," Abby said, putting her arms around her friend.

"Where did you come from?" Tim asked, startled. He hadn't even heard her footsteps.

"New Orleans. But I thought you could use some support, anyway, Timmy," she offered. He smiled at her, and put the phone down, still discouraged.

"Thanks, Abs. I just…need a little push, I guess," he said, his face falling. Abby picked up the phone, dialed the number, and patted him on the head.

"Your welcome!" she shouted as she ran back to her lab. McGee rolled his eyes, but not without a smile. He put the phone to his ear, took a deep breath, and heard it ring one, two, three times before it picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Eddie? It's Tim McGee."

The conversation was brief, changing quickly from excited greetings, to the painful explanation and subsequent reaction, to the final decision for the family to fly out to D.C in the morning. After Tim hung up, he sat fiddling with a pen for a few minutes, and then rushed to the men's locker room. He slipped into a shower stall, pulling the curtain as far over as it would go. He slid down the wall into a sitting position, muffled his mouth, and for the first time in awhile, cried.

**Oh, poor Tim :[ . Well, it was a bit short, but my next one has a bit more meat to it. Hope you liked it, and as for reviews and constructive criticism: it's welcomed. Have a good one!**

** Lauren  
**


	3. Delaware Doppleganger

**Well, hello there! As always, it has been awhile! I've been caught up with a lot of things, but I found this and said "Aw crap. I need to upload this..." So here it is :D Sorry D: I'm terrible. Also, in the part that says WE'RE GOING TO DELAWARE FOLKS, I did that to separate the settings. Every time I try to do so by putting x's or such, it doesn't work. Any tips? Other than that, I hope you enjoy!****  
**

**Delaware Doppleganger  
**

The Baltimore Police Department seemed completely empty when Tony strolled in. Phones were ringing off the hook on all of the desks, but there was almost no one in sight, save for a frantic looking young woman answering some near the front. He shrugged, figuring she may be useful, and walked up to her.

"Excuse me?" he asked. The woman didn't pay any attention to him. He let her deal with another call, and then tried again.

"Excuse me, miss! Federal Agent!" he said, pulling out his badge. She jumped a little, but walked over to him very composed.

"How can I help you, sir?" she asked. She seemed rather nervous, and Tony didn't recognize her. 'Must be new,' he thought.

"Special Agent DiNozzo, NCIS. You guys sent over a dead Marine by the name of Capt. Arlene Lutz this morning. Do you happen to know who was working the case?"

"Actually, yes!" she said, her face lighting up, "My partner and I were. Detective Jansen is senior, but she's out right now, so I'll help you. I'm Detective Vaughn."

"Nice to meet you, Detective. Could you just tell me everything you know about Captain Lutz and her disappearance?" he asked. She walked over to a desk and pulled a case file out of the top drawer.

"All we know about Lutz are the basics. She lived in Dover, Delaware, with her boyfriend, Vince Malcolm, 40. She was 37, had no children, and no criminal record. However," she paused and held up a mug shot, "the boyfriend does."

Ziva read through the background check for the second time, and set it down. Nothing sent off alarms in her head, but deep down, something in there bothered her. Or rather, something that wasn't in there. She flipped through it again, this time her eyes landing on a chart. It was an unofficial identification mark chart that Lutz had had made, in case of the worst. It listed a birthmark, a scar (on her face, therefore gone by now), and a tattoo. However, Ziva noticed, it didn't match the description of the one they all saw.

"That's it!" she exclaimed. She folded the sheet up and slid it into her pocket, and started walking to the elevator. She was almost there when she bumped into Tony.

"Where are you going, David?" he asked. He was swinging around car keys in one hand and holding a case file in the other.

"Autopsy," she answered. She didn't get much farther when Tony grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him.

"_Not_ before we go to Delaware," he said,

"Why in the world are we going to Delaware?" she asked impatiently. She wanted to investigate her idea as soon as possible.

"To have a talk with the boyfriend. Gibbs' orders," he replied, smirking. She sighed and went to grab her coat from her desk. Tony _did_ have a possible lead here. All she had was a hunch, and it would have to wait.

WE'REAGOINGTODELAWAREFOLKS!

"No, Duck, not the one we saw earlier. Officer David says it's a line of a song."

" Would that song happen to be an 80's hit by the name of Video Killed The Radio Star?"

Agent DiNozzo went through the short list, matching the description.

"Indeed it would be. You know, that was the first video to be played on MTV, somewhat-"

"TONY." Ziva barked. She glared at him through her peripheral vision.

"Yes, well, thank you doctor. If you find anything else important, give us a ring." Tony said. The examiner responded, voice tinny through the phone, and the conversation ended.

" Ducky found the tattoo on the list. It's strange, you know, that the marine corps. one wasn't on there. Judging by McGoo's stories and her career choices, it was a bit more important."

"Perhaps she didn't want anyone to know?" Ziva questioned. Tony ruffled his brow, thinking over the case.

"But her doctors and fellow marines would likely know, and surely-"

"-the boyfriend," Ziva finished, a thoughtful look coming over her face," they dated for 6 years, the must have been intimate at one point."

"Really? Because, what if, they're old fashioned? Did you ever think of that, Doctor Assumption?" Tony cocked an eyebrow, hiding a signature smirk in the process.

"I recognize that, Tony. I was just suggesting, that maybe, six years is long enough for even old fashioned couples." She said, pursing her lips.

"Yes, well, HOLY—!" Tony shouted, swerving out of the way of an oncoming truck. They'd been on the road for almost two hours, and he didn't even realize how tired he'd become.

"How about you focus on the road rather than making your point, yes?" Ziva asked, with a roll of her eyes. '_Men_', she thought.

Finally, they pulled into the address that Tony had gotten from Baltimore PD. It wasn't a beat up house by any means, but had an eerily haunted feel to it. The two agents peered at it for a moment before getting out and walking to the door. Ziva knocked three times, then three more. They were ready to enter without an invitation, when a weary voice called out "I'm coming!"

Ziva looked suspiciously at Tony. The voice was that of a female, an _adult_ female, at that. Perhaps he had forgotten the seriousness of their business in Delaware, or he was reverting to his perverted male instincts, but for whichever, he smiled.

"He sure moved on fast," he commented. Ziva had no time for anything but another roll of the eyes as the door opened.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked. She'd answered her own question without realizing it, and subsequently gave more material for Tony and Ziva to question. Looking quickly through the file, they each felt their heart skip a beat in confusion. The woman who answered the door matched the military ID image of Captain Arlene Lutz.

**Alright, so what did you think? It's getting twisted all of a sudden. : ) Please review, with constructive criticism because that is how I can make this better for you readers! I really appreciate it! Thanks so much and have a fantastic day, everyone! See you next chapter!** **-Koo**


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